Since its inception, Mario Kart has been known for bringing innovation to the multiplayer racing genre in a number of ways, and the rumored “Mario Kart 9” could do just that by introducing us to the freedom of the open world for the first time in the franchise. While other racing games like Forza Horizon 5 have adopted world maps and integrated circuits, Mario Kart has instead added underwater racing, ‘anti-gravity’ and flight mechanics to its gameplay. And while at the time of Mario Kart 8’s release, these features were still new and somewhat groundbreaking, fans may now be wondering how the series will break new ground in its next big title.
But it’s not easy to imagine how the franchise can reinvent the genre, and there has been much speculation about a possible Smash Bros.-style crossover in Mario Kart 9. However, new driving mechanics are not easy to create. So one possibility is that mario kart 9 adopt the novelties that other games have introduced such as the open worldsince it is something that Nintendo hasn’t done yet with the franchise. The art style and the characteristic gameplay would be something “new” for the open world genre.
With the arrival of Sonic Frontiers and Pokémon Legends: Arceus, it has become a meme that “all games have to be open world” like Breath of the Wild to be successful. However, Mario Kart could learn from his contemporaries and create a open world with a unique style of the IP. With so many different themes and opportunities to design new tracks for mario kart 9, you would greatly benefit from having a connection for all of these levels. The franchise has carved out enough of an identity of its own that an open world benefits it and opens up opportunities for fun track design and a compelling single and multiplayer experience.
Forza Horizon 5 is the closest comparison for racing games of open world. Players not only drive their cars around the map to go from race to race, but also upgrade cars, start a race as a driver, and explore different cities. Given that Mario Kart already has unlockables, a kart customization feature, and many different locations, it would make sense that Nintendo will interconnect them with an open world map focused on exploration and enriched with NPCs.
Another example is Mario Golf: Super Rush, as it is the first game in the series to use a single map for each course instead of each hole being self-contained. This has allowed the design of the courses to be broader and feel more connected to the game world. Similarly, Mario Kart could use a map of open world to create tracks that integrate with each other.
It is also true that circuits like Music Park and Rainbow Road from Mario Kart 8: Deluxe influenced the design of the tracks of mario kart 9, it might be difficult to create a unified world that includes all the possible themes of each track. However, given Mario’s history of sports games with different biomes, it would be great to see a new game attempt to create a hub world that ties all the different tracks together. A larger world, with vast landscapes that house smaller circuits, could catapult the game.
An arcade-style racing game doesn’t seem like the kind of game that would benefit from a open worldbut Nintendo you get to design an entire world around yourself, and Mario Kart’s cartoonish nature means there’s plenty of room to design interesting things. Many stories can be told simply by designing a detailed open world.
Lastly, single player experiences in Mario Kart have always been limited, and some believe the best single player experience has been ‘Mario Kart DS’. Mission mode reset the included tracks and had players complete tasks like breaking boxes and defeating bosses. An open world Mario Kart could reintegrate the missions into the game by turning them into side missions. These courses present an additional challenge and Mario Kart always benefits from having smaller sub-modes alongside a large number of courses and races.
Also, this would not interfere with the multiplayer aspects of the gameplay. Actually having a open world it could help Mario Kart justify more modes and ways to compete with your friends. Team racing has never been a predominant form of competition in Mario Kart, but with a dedicated friend list and a world to explore with them, a clan or club system like the one coming to Super Mario Strikers: Battle League would sure make make the game more fun. Open world games also tend to focus on events and tournaments, which could open up possibilities for better online multiplayer.
There are more things Mario Kart could do to innovate, like bringing back the Double Dash partner mechanic and creating a catalog in Mario Kart 9 with enough Smash Bros-style Nintendo characters. complete and open world map, even for multiplayer, would probably bring more interest to the franchise than just adding more tracks or more characters.